


Under a Bronze Moon

by soidiallednine



Series: How Fitting and Sweet [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Spy, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Kinda, M/M, Peril, Sharing a Bed, War, Wordplay Fic Challenge (One Direction)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:07:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soidiallednine/pseuds/soidiallednine
Summary: The planets Walloq and Traj have been at odds for nearly a century. If nothing is done soon to stop the war, the future of both worlds may be lost. Louis Tomlinson is a member of the Trajan resistance, operating undercover on Walloq. He hopes his mission will bring the resistance closer to ending the war and, in the process, save what’s left of his family. Dr. Harry Styles is the son of the president of Walloq, pampered and privileged - and the target of Louis’s mission. Harry is also playing a secret role in the conflict, one that puts him in grave danger on his home planet. When Louis’s cover is blown, he needs to flee Walloq and try to make it back to Traj safely. Whether he likes it or not, Harry is coming along for the ride.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: How Fitting and Sweet [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817845
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31
Collections: Prompt 2.4: Bronze





	Under a Bronze Moon

_“In living and in seeing other men, the heart must break or become as bronze.” -- Nicholas Chamfort_

* * *

Harry had been wrong about spending ten days in a cargo container. They were going to spend ten days in _half_ a container. 

They had made the rendezvous just in time. The guard at the entrance gate to the cargo loading area at the spaceport shuttle station had been Louis’s next contact. If they had been any later, his shift would have ended and his replacement would have had no idea who they were or what they were looking for. The contact directed them to a far corner of the storage yard where they had found their home for the next ten or so days. It was an old container, equipped to ship live animals off-planet. The good thing was that they had their own life support system. Pretty much everything else about it was the bad thing. Harry couldn’t see what was in the other half of the container, but he thought he heard the low mooing of a cow. Harry didn’t want to live like a cow.

“We have to travel in _that_?” Harry was definitely panicking again. He wasn’t really claustrophobic, but he was pretty sure that the prospect of extended time in a twenty by eight foot space with another person would give anyone pause. It didn’t look very tall either. 

“It is what it is,” said Louis, who was checking out both the exterior and interior of their compartment. Harry had spent enough time with him by now to know that the look on his face wasn’t just concentration but also concern.

“Are we going to be safe? Does everything look OK?” 

Harry wasn’t getting in that box if Louis didn’t think it was safe. Hell, he should just take the opportunity to run while Louis’s focus was elsewhere. Why was he going along with Louis’s kidnapping efforts so easily? Sure, Louis had threatened to expose him, but was that reason enough to let himself be smuggled to another planet? 

“Let me check out the life support system.” Louis disappeared into the container, and Harry heard metal scrape. It sounded rusty, if that were possible. 

Harry wasn’t thrilled with rust, but if he were honest with himself, he was getting a thrill out of all this excitement. He was definitely afraid, but under the fear he felt a sense of purpose. If a Trajan spy thought he was important, he must be, right? Harry knew that the Archer’s writings about the failures of the Walloqi government and the horrors of the war were important. But all Harry really did was sit safely in his home office and stare at a screen. He never did anything more dangerous than downloading some illicit software to protect his anonymity and access the underground message boards. Maybe this was an opportunity to actually DO something for once.

More clattering and scraping metal came from inside the container. Louis yelped and swore, as if he had hurt himself.

“You OK in there?” Harry called out. All he got back was a grumble, but the clattering continued, so Louis must not be very injured.

There was probably another reason for going along with this adventure; one that Harry was loath to admit. He was a trained psychiatrist; he knew his own psyche enough to realize that he had a weakness for beautiful, highly competent men. It was hard to think of Louis as his enemy. Despite his interest in Trajan literature and in the resistance efforts, Harry had met very few Trajans in his life. A few times at stuffy government events he’d been introduced to visiting officials, but none of them were even remotely interesting. Louis, on the other hand, was fascinating. A bit smaller than Harry, Louis was all compact efficiency. His movements were sure and exact, every one filled with purpose and absolutely necessary. Harry was aware of his own attractiveness, but he lacked that precision of movement. An old boyfriend had compared him to a clumsy baby deer once, and Harry had to admit that was a pretty apt description.

Louis wasn’t a deer, he was a panther. Harry knew that he was dangerous, a predator that could consume him, but he was drawn to him anyway. He could come up with all the political justifications he wanted, but Harry was going along with this because he wanted Louis’s attention. 

In the space of about six hours, Louis had become his primary focus in life. Harry was sure this wasn’t healthy, but it was true nonetheless.

Louis poked his head out of the container.

“It’ll be fine. We need to get in and get it sealed. The crane will be moving it to the elevator in just a few minutes.” Louis seemed content with his inspection of the container. Harry was going to have to rely on his assessment.

Harry stepped inside, turning back to take a last look at Walloq. The storage yard wasn’t exactly the most scenic view, but he didn’t know how long it would be before he saw his home planet again. All at once it hit him what he was doing. He was leaving everything he’d ever known. The force of that realization was like a physical blow. He stumbled a bit. Was a pretty man worth it? Was his activism worth it? Harry wasn’t sure.

“Let’s go, Harry.” Louis’s voice was kinder than it had been, as if he knew what Harry was thinking, what he was giving up by going along with this. He shut the door and activated the containment seal. A few dim lights illuminated the interior.

“Moooo!” There was _definitely_ a cow in the other compartment.

* * *

When he had been trained for missions “on planet,” as they referred to undercover missions on Walloq (or any planet, really, but the main focus was Walloq), Louis had heard about agents being forced to endure cramped and spartan spaces for interplanetary travel. Most of these stories seemed like exaggerations meant to scare recruits and perhaps weed out the more timid. Now, however, Louis would have his own story to tell the newbies. Assuming they made it safely back to Traj, of course.

The old container had been retrofitted for human habitation, if barely. The life support seemed adequate, though Louis assumed it was meant to sustain farm animals, not two humans. An access panel next to the door showed a series of green lights now that the outer seal had engaged. A metal cabinet was bolted to the wall opposite; during his inspection, Louis had found food, water, a medical kit, a few blankets and changes of clothes, and even a bottle of Trajan whiskey inside. One of the first things he was going to do was to convince Harry to change out of his “Master Baiter” sweatshirt. He wasn’t going to mention the whiskey. 

Along the short end of the space, opposite the interior wall shared with the neighboring compartment, was a small pallet. The thin mattress and a few blankets provided the only non-metal comforts in the container. Adjacent to the cabinet was a cubicle, just large enough for a single person to step into and remain mostly upright. It included a waste reclamation unit and a bit of gray water. At least they wouldn’t have to use a bucket. Louis shivered at the thought. 

“We should sit down for the transfer onto the elevator. We’ll be less likely to fall.” Louis directed Harry towards the pallet. Harry sat down, with his back to the outside wall, as directed. Louis sat next to him.

Harry had seemed to change, almost instantly, when he’d stepped into the container. He’d gotten quiet, and Louis was a bit worried about that. Other than the times when he’d been exhausted during their bus rides earlier, Harry had talked almost continuously all day, even if only to whine. It wasn’t like him to just do as he was told without comment. Louis wondered if this was all sinking in now.

“We’re not going to hurt you, Harry. I’m sure that by the time we get to Traj there will be a plan in place to use you to help the cause. You’ll be treated well. We want your help, and we want you to trust us. I think once you give us a chance, you’ll realize that we’re on the same side as the Archer.”

Harry just stared at the opposite wall.

Chains clattered against the container’s walls as workers secured it to be lifted by a crane. Louis knew they’d be airborne momentarily.

“You may want to brace yourself, Harry. We’ll be stable once we’re on the elevator, but the next few minutes might be rough. You don’t get motion sick do you?”

Harry turned his head towards Louis. The lighting was dim, but Louis thought his green eyes looked sad and resigned.

“No, I don’t.”

“Great, then we should be just fine. A few moments and the rest of the ride should be just fine. You know, I’ve traveled between Traj and Walloq a few times, but never like this. It’ll be an adventure!”

Louis was babbling. He felt an uncontrollable need to make Harry feel better about this, to cheer him up. They’d had a long day, and even though Harry had whined and argued and basically drove him up a wall the whole time, he had been _there_. He had been totally engaged in what was happening. The moment they entered the container, though, it was as if that Harry disappeared, leaving this shell in his place. Louis was worried about how quickly Harry had shut down.

Louis felt the container being lifted, the ground falling away beneath them. The life support system would compensate for the changes in atmosphere as the space elevator took them to the port in geosynchronous orbit above the city, but it would be a while before the gravitational plating and inertial dampeners would engage. For now, Louis felt every swoop of being in a box dangled at the end of a long chain. Louis checked for Harry’s reaction to the movements. He was still staring at the wall, no expression on his face.

“I’m sure that my colleagues arranged for us to be immediately loaded onto a cargo ship heading for Traj. As you know, only officially sanctioned ships can cross the neutral zone because of the embargo. Have you ever crossed the neutral zone? Seen the asteroids? They can be quite beautiful when the sun hits them just right. Makes it hard to imagine why we’re fighting over them.”

Harry still didn’t react. Louis needed to shut up. He never babbled like this.

“Maybe we should --”

Louis was cut off as the container dropped several feet, landing with a thud onto what was probably the elevator platform. It skidded into place as if it had been thrown by the crane onto the platform. The jolt jarred both Louis and Harry, throwing them to the side, Harry landing sprawled over Louis, who had no chance to brace himself before toppling over. So much for sitting to stabilize themselves.

“Hehehehhehe, ahahahah, hahahaha.”

Louis was now looking at the ceiling, with Harry draped over his chest. Harry was . . . giggling? That wasn’t a good sign.

“Harry! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?”

“MooooOOOOO!”

Louis couldn’t see Harry’s face in this position, but based on the rumbling that transferred from Harry’s chest to his own, the mooing had come from _Harry_ , not the cow in the neighboring compartment. Well, Harry had mooed in addition to the cow next door, who was most definitely also mooing. 

“Hahahahahahahahheheheh. Moo!”

“Okay, Harry, I think we can sit up now.” Louis gathered his strength to leverage them both up into a sitting position again. Now that they were on the elevator platform, they had twelve hours or so until they reached the spaceport in orbit. They should remain stable for that time.

Louis got them propped up in sitting positions again, Harry slumped against him. Harry was still laughing, but he also seemed to be crying. Louis was really worried now. If Harry had had a mental breakdown, Louis was very much not equipped to handle it. And almost two weeks in the container wasn’t going to help.

Louis hadn’t wanted to mention the whiskey, figuring getting drunk was not ideal for their situation, but maybe a shot or two would help Harry get back to normal. It should help him sleep at least. Maybe that’s what he needed.

“Hold on Harry, I’m going to get something that might help.” Louis shifted them both and balanced Harry upright. Harry wasn’t laughing anymore, but tears glistened on his cheeks. Louis stood up gingerly, worried both that the movement of the container would throw him off balance and that Harry wouldn’t be able to sit upright on his own. He had to adjust a bit, but he was able to compensate for the movement and gain his footing. Harry also stayed upright, thankfully.

Louis went to the cabinet and rummaged through it, grabbing both the whiskey and a water pouch. There didn’t seem to be any cups, so they’d have to drink the whiskey from the bottle.

“Do you want food? It’s mostly just protein bars, but we haven’t eaten all day.”

Harry shook his head. “Not hungry.”

Louis thought maybe sleep was most important. He’d try food again later.

Crossing back to the pallet, Louis opened the nozzle of the water pouch.

“Here, Harry, you need some water. It’s been hours since we had any.”

Harry took the pouch without complaint and drank a fair bit. Louis was glad he hadn’t refused. Louis focused on unscrewing the cap off the whiskey bottle. The plastic seal was giving him problems, so he went back to the cabinet to get the go bag he had stored earlier. He was pretty sure there was a multipurpose tool in there.

“You should have some, too.” Harry was holding the water pouch out to him. He wasn’t exactly his old self, but Louis was glad he was communicating. He seemed to have stopped crying.

“Thanks.” 

Louis set the whiskey and tool on the shelf, and walked back to Harry to take the pouch. They needed to ration the water, there was only so much in the cabinet, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. After drinking some, Louis closed the nozzle, storing the pouch away for later. He cut the whiskey bottle’s plastic seal away and returned the multipurpose tool to the cabinet. After making sure the cabinet doors were closed tight, he took the open bottle over to Harry on the pallet.

“Try a few swigs of this, Harry. Might make you feel better.”

Harry shifted his blank stare to look at Louis, and reached for the bottle.

“Trajan whiskey? I’ve never had it.” Harry sniffed at the open bottle, grimacing at the smell.

“It’ll melt your socks off, but it’ll do the trick. We need to get some sleep.”

Harry took a swig, spluttering at the taste.

“Jesus, that’s strong.”

“I know. That’s how you know it’s working. Take another drink.”

Harry did as instructed, seemingly more prepared for the taste. He handed the bottle back to Louis, who was squatting by the pallet.

“Lay down, Harry. We’ve got hours before we get to the spaceport. Time to rest.”

Again, Harry did as instructed. Louis took a few swigs from the bottle himself and then returned it to the cabinet. He used the waste cubicle and then went back to the pallet.

Harry was already asleep, sprawled on his back, diagonally across the pallet. Louis sighed. He was glad Harry was resting, but he needed to fit on the pallet too. Louis took off his own shoes, set them aside, and then squatted down to remove Harry’s. There were a few blankets, but they were all currently under Harry, who was not a small man. They’d have to go without for now. 

Harry’s head was closest to the wall, so Louis decided he’d try to drag his lower half over so that there was room on the outside for him. He was worried about waking Harry, but a sudden snuffle and snore from the big oaf indicated Harry was deeply asleep. With some pushing and shoving Louis was able to make enough room to lie down. There were no pillows but at least the mattress wasn’t too bad. Louis flopped onto his front, trying to find a comfortable position. Harry snorted in his sleep, shifted, and rolled onto his side, right up against Louis.

At least it’ll be warm, Louis thought, as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Harry came awake slowly. He had the taste of alcohol in his mouth, a mild headache, and a warm body was tucked up next to him. Had he gone out last night and scored? The light was dim, so it must not be long after daybreak.

His mind was fuzzy, and he wasn’t quite sure why his bedroom ceiling looked like that, but he was comfortable. He didn’t want to think too hard about it, just wanted to enjoy the warmth of the man next to him and the pleasure of his morning wood. He thought he remembered blue eyes and golden skin. A lot like that Capt. Grant, Harry thought. He inched just a bit closer to the man and started to drift back to sleep.

“If you scoot over any more, I’m going to be on the floor, Harry.”

Awareness slammed into Harry. He wasn’t at home cuddled in bed with a one night stand. He was on the run from Walloqi security forces, being smuggled away by a beautiful, but possibly deadly, Trajan spy. 

And that spy was shoving at him, trying to make room for himself on the pallet. Harry rolled away, not quite ready to start fighting with Louis just yet, despite the warmth that was sacrificed for that space. 

While most of the previous day came flooding back quickly, he didn’t remember much of what occurred once they got into the container. Harry vaguely remembered falling on Louis and then whiskey. There was mooing in there somewhere? He wasn’t wearing his shoes, so those had come off at some point. Harry wasn’t sure how long they had slept, but it felt like it had been a number of hours. He could taste artificial, recycled air, so the life support systems must have kicked in. He wished it were warmer, though.

There was a faint hum from the air systems, but otherwise it was quiet. Not even a moo from next door. Harry assumed they were still on the elevator; they were stable and he felt no momentum, as he would on a ship with even the best inertial dampeners. How long until they reached the spaceport? Should he try to develop a plan for getting free while they were there? Louis had mentioned that the container would probably be transferred to a ship right away, but surely there was some transfer or storage area that they had to go through first. Perhaps he could just open the door and run? Or get the attention of someone by pounding on the walls?

And where would he go if he did escape? Harry wasn’t even sure if anyone was actually looking for him or if the security agents that chased them were just looking for Louis. Did anyone care that he was gone? His mom and sister would eventually notice, but likely not for days. He saw them once a week at most. His assistant would notice when he didn’t show up for work, if she hadn’t realized he was gone yesterday. But who would she alert? He treated a lot of Walloqi soldiers, but he was a civilian. Patients were referred to him through the military’s health administration. He had no commanding officer to report to. At least Louis seemed to care where he was at the moment.

“I can hear you thinking, Harry. Are you OK? You were having a rough time of it last night.”

Harry took a moment to assess his mental state. He was anxious about the situation, but overall he was calm.

“I think I’m OK. I’m pretty sure something died in my mouth, but otherwise I’m good. Could do with a cheeseburger, though.”

Louis chuckled lightly. “There are protein bars, but I’m afraid the cheeseburger is going to have to wait.”

They were speaking softly, though Harry wasn’t sure why. It felt very intimate, and Harry enjoyed that. He didn’t want to spoil the moment by bringing up any of the million concerns he had about their situation. Concerns much bigger than when he could have his next cheeseburger. Again, Harry recognized that his attraction to Louis was affecting his judgment. He wasn’t sure how to change that, though, other than to be aware of it. Perhaps he needed to put distance between them. 

“I’ll see what I can find.” 

Harry sat up and leveraged himself up and over Louis to get up off the side of the pallet. Only in the midst of this maneuver, hovering over Louis who was looking him dead in the eyes, did Harry realize he probably should have scooted to the foot of the pallet and gotten up that way. He wasn’t sure if Louis had felt his erection, which had flagged only minimally when Harry was trying to decide whether to run at the spaceport. Harry scrambled to his feet as gracefully as possible.

“Ahem. Sorry, didn’t think.” Harry pushed his hair back behind his ears. He could feel himself blushing. 

“No problem, Curly,” Louis said with a wink.

Harry blushed more. He turned away quickly.

After spending probably too long in the waste cubicle figuring out how to use the damn thing -- and getting his dick under control -- Harry rummaged through the storage cabinet. He pulled out a few protein bars and a water pouch. He saw the Trajan whiskey bottle and shivered at the memory of the strong taste.

“Thank you for taking care of me last night. I think I went a bit sideways there for a while.”

Harry carried the food and water back over to the pallet, making sure to enter at the foot, and sat cross-legged against the wall. Louis’s eyes had drifted closed again, but Harry could tell he was awake. There was an alertness to him that again reminded Harry of a panther.

“Do you want food? Water? I think we should save the whiskey for desperate times.” 

Harry opened one of the protein bars. Peanut butter. Not terrible.

Louis sighed and sat up. His hair was sticking out in all directions, and he had a crease on the side of his face from sleeping against the seam of one of the blankets. Harry, all but forgetting their current situation, thought he looked freaking adorable. His dick was starting to perk up again. Harry really wished they were back in his bed at home.

“Harry! Hello! Are you OK?” 

While Harry had been daydreaming about how adorable he was, Louis had moved to kneel in front of Harry, snapping his fingers at him to get his attention.

“Harry! Are you still in shock? What do you need?”

Harry jumped, startled by how close Louis now was. Apparently he’d gotten caught up in his daydream and had failed to listen to Louis’s response to his question about food.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Sorry, was thinking a little too hard again. I’ll be OK. Here, have a protein bar. And water, you should have water.”

Harry shoved everything he was holding into Louis’s hands. Louis sighed, again.

“As long as you’re not cracking up on me.”

Louis settled down on the mattress in front of Harry.

“I’m fine. Yesterday was a long day and I think my brain needed a minute to reset itself. I’m a bit spacey now but I’m fine.”

Louis ripped open the protein bar.

“As long as you’re with me. I’m not sure I can do this on my own. We’ve got a long way to go ahead of us.”

Harry was touched that Louis said he needed him. He wasn’t sure if it was just a line to keep him cooperative, but all the same, Harry took it to heart. 

They finished their simple meal in silence. Louis went to use the waste cubicle -- Harry was so glad a fan kicked on when it was in use and whoever was out in the container couldn’t hear whatever happened in there -- and Harry cleaned up the remains of their food. There was a small trash bag in the cabinet for the wrappers, and Harry returned the water pouch to its place on the shelf. There were about a dozen more pouches, each holding a gallon of water. They needed to make sure they didn’t go through them too quickly.

Harry also found the extra clothes and chose some boring gray sweats and underwear to change into. He folded his jeans and the “Master Baiter” sweatshirt and placed them on the shelf. He had to remember to take the sweatshirt with him when they left; Louis’s reaction to it was too good not to.

Louis finished up in the cubicle and also changed his clothes. Harry was sure to focus on fixing up the pallet when he did so, not daring to take a peek. Once their trash was disposed of, the bed was made, and their clothes changed, there didn’t seem to be anything else to do. Louis was pressing buttons on the life support system panel, softly grunting to himself about whatever he was seeing.

Harry stood around awkwardly. There was nowhere to sit but the pallet or the floor.

“How long until we reach the spaceport?” asked Harry.

Louis looked at his wrist communicator.

“Just under two hours. We slept a long time.”

Louis went back to whatever he was doing with the computer panel. Harry moved back to the pallet and sat down.

“When I was a kid, my sister and I used to go visit my grandmother at the beach every year . . .”

Harry began talking. Louis glanced over, but he quickly went back to his task and let Harry ramble on. There was nothing to do but talk. Luckily, Harry was very good at talking. 

* * *

The transfer at the spaceport went smoothly. In fact, they really hadn’t been able to tell that much was happening from inside the container because the gravity plating and inertial dampeners had engaged. Some mooing from next door and a few clangs on the outside of the container were the only indicators that they’d been shifted off the elevator and, a few hours later, onto a ship. Louis did feel the ship accelerate as it left port, but the motion was mild and soon it felt as if they were merely still.

They settled into life in a container. Louis’s communicator no longer had any data connection, but he was able to tell time and keep track of things like the ambient temperature and oxygen levels. Though it wasn’t really necessary, he and Harry kept regular Walloqi hours, sleeping at “night” and trying to keep active during the “day.” There was little to do, but, without much consultation, they fell into a routine. They ate three meals a day, trying to vary which kind of protein bar they chose to keep it interesting. There were also a few pieces of fruit in the cabinet that they rationed carefully. They stuck to water, leaving the whiskey untouched again. They took turns using the waste cubicle, including using the gray water to bathe, and changed clothes periodically. Both were sure to keep eyes averted when the other changed or washed. 

In the mornings they did some basic exercises, trying to keep their muscles from atrophying while trapped in the small space. In the afternoon, Louis fiddled with his communicator or the life support panel while Harry tidied up. 

None of this took very long, and there were long hours to fill. Harry was mostly responsible for filling these hours by talking. He talked about everything imaginable. His childhood, his family -- Louis noticed his father was rarely mentioned -- his work and schooling and hobbies. Every bad joke he’d ever heard. He talked a bit about how he started as the Archer, about his exposure to Trajan samizdat and his concern for the less fortunate citizens of Walloqi. He told stories about dreams he’d had, about bad dates, about a roommate from medical school who had been dating two men and three women at once, all of whom showed up at their apartment one night to confront the overextended casanova. At least once a day, Harry asked why he was called Matchstick.

Louis mostly just listened. Sometimes he asked a question for clarification or when something piqued his interest. He never even acknowledged the Matchstick question. He didn’t share anything about himself. Harry didn’t ask. Louis could tell he wanted to, but after Louis didn’t say anything personal in the first day or two, Harry seemed to get the message. Harry was just talking to fill the time, really, and Louis was grateful for it. On his own he probably would have been fine to be silent for ten days, but it would have been really awkward for the two of them. 

They became comfortable with each other. They shared food, water, even a bed. They were so separated from the outside world. Nothing existed except the two of them in that container. It had been a long time since Louis had felt so at peace. He knew it was temporary, but at the moment, he had no responsibilities, no mission to fulfill. He didn’t need to pretend to be another person, he didn’t need to be constantly alert for danger. He didn’t have to take care of anyone -- Harry was capable of making sure they were fed and watered. Thankfully he had gotten over whatever had affected him that first night.

They had even become comfortable sharing the pallet. Louis thought this was largely because, of all the things Harry talked about, he didn’t address the sexual tension between them. Louis had always thought Harry was an attractive man, even back when all he’d known of him was the dossier he was given to prepare for his assignment. Upon meeting him, though, even more than his curls and sharp jawline, Louis found Harry’s obliviousness to the effect he had on others his most attractive quality. In just a few visits to Dr. Styles’s office, Louis had realized that Harry’s assistant, the mail carrier, and the building’s security guard were all in love with him. Though he’d seen Harry act kindly with all of these people, he was confident Harry didn’t realize their feelings. He’d also been ignorant of the looks that numerous people had given them when they’d been playing tourists all over town. More than once Louis had had to glare at someone to get them to move on. Harry had just whined about being tired and never gave any of them a passing glance.

So, each night, they had gone to bed about the same time, Harry on the inside against the wall, Louis on the outside, beginning each night with ample space. Harry seemed to fall asleep immediately, based on his snores, but Louis took more time to drift off. While he felt more peace than he had in ages, he still had a lot on his mind, not the least of which was what would happen when they reached Traj. Eventually, though, Harry’s soft snores would lull him to sleep.

Each morning they woke up entangled with each other. It was a bit chilly in the container, but Louis knew that wasn’t the only reason. It had been less than a week, but already their bodies sought each other out in their sleep. Louis never felt more at peace, more comfortable, than when he woke curled up with Harry. He wondered if Harry felt the same. Usually Louis woke before Harry and, despite the comfort, he would eventually disentangle himself and get up for the day. There were no repeats of the first morning when Harry had crawled over him. Anything more than unstated attraction would be disastrous for them, though. Harry was Louis’s kidnap victim and potentially a huge resource for the resistance. Louis couldn’t let sex get in the way.

Night six in the container, and Harry had drifted off several hours ago. Louis was restless, though. He was thinking of his family and how they were faring without him. Louis flipped over, inching closer to Harry’s warmth. Harry must have felt the movement and shifted in his sleep, pushing his rear end into Louis’s space. Louis huffed quietly, adjusting himself so there wasn’t contact.

BANG! THWUMP THWUMP THWUMP!

“What? Who? What?” Harry shot upwards, wide-eyed, looking for whatever woke him.

THWUMP THWUMP BANG HISS!

Louis was on his feet, running to the life support panel. The sounds had come from there. Red lights were flashing on the panel.

“Alert! Alert! Systems offline. Repair immediately.” A shrill beeping emitted from the panel.

“What is happening?” Harry yelled. “Are we dying?”

“I don’t know!” Louis was trying to suppress his panic. He didn’t know what was wrong, but none of those noises sounded good. His heart racing and his hands shaking, Louis was at least able to turn the alarm off. Harry had gotten up and joined him at the panel.

The panel displayed the status of each of the major life support systems. The seal was intact, and the gravity and inertial systems displayed green indicators. The oxygen and temperature indicators were flashing red, though.

“That’s not good.” Harry’s voice was flat. 

“No, it’s not.” Louis’s voice betrayed his panic. 

Harry turned to him, his eyes widening.

“You can fix it, though, right? You know how to fix it?”

“I don’t even know what’s wrong. I need to figure that out first.” Louis started poking at the display panel, trying to find some sort of explanation for the problem.

Harry backed off a bit, giving Louis more room to work.

“The oxygen and temperature systems are malfunctioning, but it won’t tell me why. Everything else seems fine, so it’s got to be something that those two systems have in common.”

Louis kept poking, bringing up new menus, trying desperately to figure out the problem. The panel was not giving him any information. He grew frustrated and slammed his hand against the wall when another menu led him nowhere.

“We heard a noise. A banging. Could something in the system have jammed or broken?” Harry still sounded calm, which irritated Louis. Now was the time to panic!

“Maybe. This isn’t telling me anything.”

Louis dashed over to the cabinet and found the multipurpose tool he had used to open the whiskey bottle a few days earlier. He located the thinnest tool available, and shoved into the corner of the display panel, trying to prise it off.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Do you have a better one?” Louis turned on Harry, who backed away.

“No, sorry. I just don’t think we want to make it worse.”

“Well, until you have a better idea, this is what I’ve got.”

“OK, Lou. Let’s see what’s back there. Let me help.”

Louis was able to lever the corner of the panel open a bit, and Harry stuck his fingers into the opening and pulled. The edge of the two-foot square panel bent a bit, but between the two of them they were able to pull it away from the wall. Dozens of wires kept it attached to the system hidden behind the paneling. 

Louis leaned into the space now opened behind the panel and looked around. 

“Shit.” Louis’s panic was escalating.

“What is it? Do you see the problem?”

Louis reached up behind the panel above the one with the display and pulled out a handful of broken bronze pieces.

“The circulation fan shattered.”

Louis punched at a few things on his wrist communicator.

“In approximately thirty-six hours, we’re going to run out of oxygen. But that’s okay, because we’ll likely freeze to death first.”

For once, Harry didn’t have anything to say.

* * *

Louis’s first idea was to try to put the bronze fan back together. However, while they found all the pieces, they had no way to melt the metal back together. No one had thought to include a welding torch in the cabinet. They wasted about two hours picking the bronze pieces out of the wall and reassembling them on the pallet. In the end, all they had was a pile of bronze chips.

Harry thought Louis’s second idea, to pull off panels and see if there was another bronze fan somewhere, was likely just as pointless. But working was keeping the edge off Louis’s panic, and Harry didn’t have a better idea. For several hours, they worked doggedly at pulling away all the panels on the wall with the door -- the only one that was paneled -- but there were no other fans, bronze or otherwise. 

They had probably used more oxygen than just sitting would have, Harry thought, but at least they were keeping warm. Harry hadn’t noticed the air quality changing, but he did notice that the temperature had dropped a good twenty degrees or so.

“There’s a fan in the waste cubicle. Could we use that?” Harry suggested.

“That’s an idea. Let’s see.”

Louis was able to open the side panel on the cubicle pretty easily, but he looked crestfallen immediately.

“It’s not bronze, and it’s way too big for the space.”

Harry sat on the pallet, not sure what to try next. Louis started laughing. It wasn’t a good laugh.

“Of all things, we need bronze! The irony!” Louis was pacing, the predatory panther replaced by a terrified one.

“What do you mean? What’s ironic about bronze?”

Harry knew that many spaceship parts were made of bronze because it weathered the lack of atmosphere well and could be fashioned into just about any configuration. The asteroids that their two planets were fighting over had a lot of the tin and copper needed to make bronze. Competition for those resources was a significant reason for the war. Bronze was so valuable that many ancient statues and artifacts had been melted down to use for ship parts when the needed metals had been scarce. The Archer had written an essay about the loss to Walloqi history.

“Have you ever heard of the Bronze Moon?” Louis asked, still pacing back and forth in the small space. Harry wanted to warn him that he was using up too much oxygen, but what did it matter if they ran out a few hours early?

“No, I don’t think so. Not that I remember.”

“Trajans tell the story of two young lovers, born in different villages, in a time before history. They met when the boy visited the girl’s village for a war council. All of the villages in the area had been fighting for years but a few young people had convinced their elders to meet and speak about peace. To welcome the visitors, the girl’s village held a feast on the first night. The two met by the fire and danced the night away, falling in love in one sweet night. The boy stayed in the village for several weeks, coming together with his love each night under the open sky and joining the war council in the morning. Both of them knew that they could not be together. Their families and villages forbade it, so they met in secret.

“The war council broke down, and the boy had to return to his village. On the last night, he gave the girl a bronze medallion in the shape of a crescent moon to remember him by. He promised he would come back for her as soon as he could. The girl strung the medallion on a chain and kept it next to her heart. Years passed, and the villages continued to fight. The boy did not come back. The girl apprenticed herself to the village’s healer. Every time there was a battle, she went to the field and treated everyone she could, always looking for her love.

“The girl refused every offer of marriage. There was eventually peace, and the girl, now a mature woman, lamented it because now she had no more opportunity to find her love. She thought about travelling to the man’s village, but heard that most of the people from that area who survived the war had been killed in a plague. And she was ashamed that she had wished for war so that she could find her love. Defeated and alone in the world, she left the village and became a hermit in the woods. 

“Meanwhile, the man had not died in battle or from the plague, but he had been severely injured and had lost all memory of his younger years. With his village and family gone, he wandered the countryside, looking for something, but he did not know what. One day he came upon a hut that had been burnt to the ground. The ashes were cold. Hungry and desperate, the man dug through the ashes to find what he could. All he was able to find was a bronze medallion shaped like a crescent moon. Instantly, his memory came back to him, and with those memories, his heart broke. His love was gone, and he could not go on. He lay down in the ashes and died, the bronze medallion clutched in his fist.

“When the moons of Traj line up just right, the second moon looks like a bronze crescent. It is rare, happening only one night every fourteen years. Trajans believe that those born under a Bronze Moon are destined to have -- and lose -- a great love. To die from heartbreak. Many people avoid marrying them, not willing to risk sharing a life with someone so cursed. They’re even blamed for misfortune that happens to other family members.”

Louis was no longer pacing, but had settled next to Harry on the pallet, calmer than he’d been since the bronze fan broke. He looked at Harry, and Harry saw pain in his eyes.

“Louis, were you born under a Bronze Moon?”

“I was. Bronze has haunted me my whole life. I even served in the Bronze Battalion.”

Harry stifled a gasp. He had heard of Traj’s Bronze Battalion. Even Walloqis thought they were cursed. He remembered a major defeat a few years earlier in which more than eighty percent of the soldiers had been killed in a battle on Traj’s first moon. It had been celebrated with parades and picnics by the more patriotic Walloqis. 

“You know that’s just a legend, right? It’s a story your ancestors made up to help explain bad luck when they had no other explanation.”

“I know.” Louis didn’t sound like he believed it, though. “Some people tell the story differently. They say that the lovers found each other again in the afterlife. That the Bronze Moon is their reminder that true love outlives everything. That it crosses time and space.”

“I like that interpretation better,” said Harry.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. I haven’t had a great love, and apparently I’m destined to die in a cargo container.”

Harry flinched at the defeat in Louis’s voice. His heart broke for the pain he knew Louis was in.

“You’re not going to die in a cargo container. We will figure this out. Rest now. We’ll both think better if we take a break.”

Harry reached an arm out and pulled Louis close. Louis came willingly, curling into Harry’s side. He sighed deeply. Harry could feel the tension slowly easing out of Louis’s body. They both fell into a light sleep. Harry dreamed of young lovers and bronze moons.

* * *

“Bessie!”

Louis jerked awake. He was laying across Harry’s lap, but Harry was pushing him away and trying to stand.

“Bessie will save us!”

“What are you talking about, Harry? Who’s Bessie?” Louis tried to pull himself together and get up off the pallet. He was pretty sure that the air was starting to thin. Harry had crossed to the opposite wall and was feeling along the edges.

“The cow! Bessie is the cow! She has a life support system, right?”

“Yeah.” Louis was slowly starting to catch up.

“Well, if we can get into her compartment, we can take her fan.”

“Oh.” Louis’s head was clearing. “That’s actually a pretty good idea.”

“Thanks. Glad to know I’m useful once in a while.”

Louis was sort of ashamed he hadn’t come up with the idea. He’d been trained for emergency situations, but he hadn’t been at his best in this one. When he’d told Harry about the Bronze Moon curse earlier, he had been quite sure they were going to die.

“I think there’s a space between the divider and outer wall here. We should try to pull it apart.” Harry was reaching into the upper outer corner. Louis thought it looked like there might be some rust there, which would weaken the wall.

Louis grabbed the multipurpose tool again and moved over to help Harry. The small opening was beyond his reach, however, so Harry would have to pull it open.

“Seems like I’m even more useful now, aren’t I?” Harry asked, amusement in his voice.

“Hey, now. Next time you need to evade security, remember who saved your ass.”

Harry chuckled. He took the tool from Louis and used it to chip away at the rusty spot, widening the opening enough that he could fit his hand into the space.

Louis heard mooing from the other compartment. Bessie must have realized that something was happening. Harry strained at the divider, putting his full weight into pulling it back. Louis stepped away so that he didn’t interfere. It took Harry several attempts, but he was able to bend back the top corner.

“I don’t think it’s going to bend any more,” Harry said. “I can’t fit through there, but if I give you a boost, do you think you can squeeze through? Maybe we can open it more if you also push from the other side.”

“Yeah, I think I can fit. Give me a boost.”

Harry laced his fingers together, and Louis stepped up into them. Harry lifted. Louis was able to grab the divider and propel himself headfirst through the opening. He could see Bessie against the side wall. Thankfully she was in a pen and didn’t have free range of the space.

“Don’t push. I’m not sure how I’m going to do this yet.” Louis worked his arms through the opening and braced them against the outer wall and ceiling, his weight now resting against the bottom of the opening. “I think I’m going to have to sort of somersault down the wall.”

“What?” Harry didn’t seem to understand.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it. When I count to three, push me up and forwards. I’m going to tumble through the opening.”

“Okay.” Harry still seemed unsure. Louis shifted his arms to grasp the bottom lip of the opening.

“One, two, three!”

Harry pushed, and Louis tucked his head, bracing his upper body while allowing his lower half to move with Harry’s momentum. He flipped ass over tea kettle, as his mother used to say, and landed on his feet. He looked around and verified that Bessie’s compartment had a life support system that matched theirs.

“I think instead of taking the fan out of this unit, we should try to open the wall as much as we can and hope the system can handle the whole container,” Louis said to Harry after looking more closely at the unit. “The air might be thin, but I think we can handle that. I don’t want to take the chance that we ruin a functional life support system.”

“Makes sense, Lou. Let’s work on this divider.”

“You pull, and I’ll push. On three, again.”

They were able to make an opening about a third of the width of the container. It wasn’t long before Harry was breathing better. Between the heat being generated by the temperature control system and the large bovine, as well as the effort from pulling and shoving at the metal divider, Harry was definitely warm enough. Bessie had calmed down, though the smell of her was a drawback to their new living arrangements. She had some sort of waste system as well, but the barnyard odor was strong.

Harry and Louis moved the pallet over by the divider, thinking the oxygen would be stronger there. They ate a bit and tried to clean up the mess they had made of their compartment. The bronze bits were dumped unceremoniously into the trash. Eventually, exhausted from their efforts to save themselves, which had taken nearly twenty-four hours, they both fell into a deep sleep.

Bessie mooed lowly as Harry reached for Louis in his sleep. Louis came to him easily, entangling their legs and curling into Harry’s arms.

On Traj, a Bronze Moon was rising. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge for the prompt "bronze". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/bronze), and to see all fics written as part of the challenge (including years 1-3), [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works). You can also find the masterpost for this year’s challenge [here](https://wordplayfics.tumblr.com/post/622306139518926848/wordplay-2020-every-week-for-five-weeks-a-prompt).
> 
> How Fitting and Sweet is a WIP that will unfold as a result of each week’s prompt. The outer sketches of the series have been plotted, but the prompt each week will guide the details of the story. The title of the series comes from [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_et_Decorum_est). (Don't worry -- no major characters will die!)
> 
> Once again, thank you to Shannon! Thank you also to a few tumblr friends who helped me brainstorm all things bronze.
> 
> A Tumblr fic post can be found [here](https://soidiallednine.tumblr.com/post/622909837066518528/how-fitting-and-sweet-by-soidiallednine). Please reblog if you enjoy the fic!


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